August 5-11, 2020 FREE fwweekly.com
FEATURE Pressure from parents to reopen schools has put teachers and other parents in a tight spot. BY EDWARD BROWN
NEWS All gonna get it: Even other places and countries that flattened the curve are seeing new cases.
BY ANTHONY MARIANI
EATS In a remodeled part of the Stockyards, Provender Hall serves up fine-dining comfort. BY LAURIE JAMES
MUSIC With his new politically charged single, The. Naaman elevates the local rap game. BY PAT R I C K H I G G I N S
Juan Velazquez’ recent splash onto the local art scene shows his artistic depth. BY EDWARD BROWN
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Number 20
Augus t 5-1 1 , 2020
INSIDE
STAFF Anthony Mariani, Editor
CELEBRATE NATIONAL FARMERS MARKET WEEK WITH US. Fort Worth’s all locally-grown & produced farmers market.
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No Toking
Bob Niehoff, General Manager
Even as Texas encourages hemp farming, the state attempts to restrict hemp retailers. By Edward Brown
Ryan Burger, Art Director Jim Erickson, Circulation Director Edward Brown, Staff Writer Michael Newquist, Regional Sales Director
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Jennifer Bovee, Account Director Stacey Hammons, Senior Account Executive Julie Strehl, Account Executive Tony Diaz, Account Executive Wyatt Newquist, Digital Coordinator Clintastic, Brand Ambassador
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Murals for Hope
Juan Velasquez sees the big picture.
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Many teachers feel a conservative vocal minority has forced local boards to offer in-person school.
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The campaign heats up locally as Congress nears its recess.
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METROPOLIS
High Time for Marijuana Reform? Even though Texas approves of hemp farmers, the state continues its battle against hemp retailers. S T A T I C
The all-female Federal Medical CenterCarswell recently received national attention following the COVID-19-related deaths of three inmates. At its peak, more than 500 inmates were stricken with the coronavirus. Of 1,355 total inmates, 244 currently test positive, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Around a dozen protesters gathered outside the prison in Fort Worth last evening to draw attention to allegedly inhumane prisoner conditions. “You are not forgotten. You are not alone. We will fight to bring you home,” the group collectively chanted just out-
Richard with the Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons said he is working to draw attention to alleged atrocities inside the Fort Worth prison.
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“We are trying to help the women get properly tested,” he said. “One of the biggest issues at this facility is there are women eligible for compassionate release who are being held up. Anytime you are in a place like this, it’s a death sentence. We are trying to put pressure [on prison authorities] to let women out and to clean the facility.” On its website, the Bureau of Federal Prisons said any inmate who exhibits COVID-19 symptoms or a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will be “immediately placed in isolation.” Placing sick patients in quarantine, Richard said, punishes prisoners who have done nothing wrong. He would like to see inmates given sanitary living conditions and eligible inmates afforded expedited access to compassionate release. –– Edward Brown
AUGUST 5-11, 2020
Protesters Call for Compassionate Release of Carswell Prisoners
side the barbed wire-topped metal fences. One protester, Lisa, said her daughter contracted COVID-19 inside the facility and was not properly treated. “They are no longer testing them” for the virus, Lisa alleges. The prison allegedly places “infected patients with healthy patients. They treat them so inhumanely in there. [Inmates] get one hot meal a day, and they just started that. They get eight pieces of bread and two pieces of lunch meat a day. I don’t know if they are still getting their hot meal. [My daughter] put in for compassionate release. She hasn’t heard anything.” Another protester, Ken, said he has no direct relationship with any inmate. He came to protest mass incarceration. “We are compassionate believers who think incarceration is largely driven by an inability to afford decent legal counsel or the ability to pay to get out,” he said.
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Waxahachie-based Texas Botanics (shown here) is one of dozens of new North Texas hemp farms and nurseries that recently lost access to the smokable hemp retail market following new state restrictions.
iStock
The recent order from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to hemp retailers was, um, blunt. The retail sale of smokable hemp is now illegal in the Lone Star State. Users of CBD, CBG, and other medicinal cannabinoids are still free to toke hemp flowers but won’t be able to purchase pre-rolled blunts, vape pens, and other smokable forms of hemp flower from retail stores under the new guidelines. The move seems oddly out of step with Texas’ recent decision to legalize the farming of hemp. Last March, the Texas Department of Agriculture began issuing permits for farmers to grow and process hemp that contains less than .3% THC, the psychoactive agent in marijuana that does a lot more
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than just get folks stoned. Many sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rely on THC to relieve their anxiety or reduce suicidal ideations. While 11 states have accepted the medical and tax-raising benefits of legalizing the medical and recreational uses of the cannabis plant, elected officials in Texas remain both unwilling to decriminalize marijuana and mistrustful of smokable hemp. Fortunately, heel-dragging in the Texas legislature hasn’t stopped reforms elsewhere in the state. Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot announced last year that his office will not prosecute first-time offenders for misdemeanor levels of marijuana possession. Earlier this year, Austin City Council adopted a similar stance for its police force. Last April, San Marcos became the first Texas city to codify cite-and-release for low-level possession of marijuana into law. Decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana saves taxpayers money, frees police to handle actual crimes, and weakens a law that, at least in its enforcement, is inherently racist. In 2019, the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office accepted misdemeanor criminal charges (possession under two ounces) against 3,767 men and women. Of that number, 52% of the alleged “criminals” were Black, even though the Black community accounts for only 15% of Tarrant County’s population. Add in Latinx folks, and that pool of defendants consists of 63% persons of color. Those statistics clash with the realities of marijuana use based on race. A recent Gallup poll found that 14% of white Americans reported regular marijuana use compared with 9% of non-white respondents. The racial disparity in marijuana arrests is well known and documented. A 2020 analysis by the American Civil Liberties Union found that “Black people are
3.64 times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession, notwithstanding comparable usage rates.” Any steps that reform marijuana laws, whether it be fighting bans against smokable hemp or supporting cite-and-release laws, serve to weaken an unjust and racially biased law that needlessly arrests or incarcerates hundreds of thousands of nonviolent men and women each year. Texans are fighting back. To protect the availability of smokable hemp, Texas Hemp Growers recently raised $15,000 to support legal efforts aimed at what they call overreach by DSHS. “When DSHS starts to enforce its rules, the attorneys are planning to file a briefing in court where they will request a temporary restraining order,” said group president Zachary Maxwell. “If we can get that, DSHS can’t enforce the ban while we are litigating in court.” Tim Blackwell, owner of Fort Worthbased Zen Alchemy Labs, said combining CBD and THC can have pain- and stressrelieving benefits for the very people who currently over-police marijuana laws. He offers a discount on CBD products for peace officers, a group that suffers above average rates of PTSD. “A 50/50 dose of CBD and THC is one of the best pain managers available,” he said. “You can have pain relief and still function. Anyone who is blending CBD and THC isn’t doing it to party. That’s for sure.” DSHS’ ban on smokable hemp, while probably appealing to social conservatives, does nothing to promote public safety. The ban does cut into the profits of CBD retailers who are struggling to stay open during an economic downturn. The move shows just how out of touch state bureaucrats are with a plant that defies being restricted from safe and responsible use. l
iStock
Bells Will Be Ringing As private schools prepare to open, local public school teachers are preparing to quit.
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until September 28. Last week, State Attorney General Ken Paxton rescinded county health officials’ ability to close schools due to public health concerns. That order added volatility to an already
emotionally charged situation. School boards now have the authority to decide when their campuses open. After holding an emergency meeting last Thursday, Fort Worth school board trustees
Edward Brown
t a recent outdoor rally calling for the reopening of Tarrant County classrooms, a mother with children in a private Christian school put it bluntly. The virus, the mother said, “was not the plague” that we were told it would be. “If you are elderly, it is going to be dangerous for you,” she continued. “We should never have quarantined the healthy. Viruses are a part of life.” Her views were shared by several other parents I spoke with that morning outside the Tarrant County Administration Building downtown. The gist of their position is that the cost of delaying inperson learning for children and teenagers outweighs the public health risk. Echoing the concerns of local child advocacy nonprofits, many of the parents noted that teachers are often the first individuals to report signs of child abuse and neglect. COVID-19 may not be a plague of Biblical proportions, but the highly infectious disease has led to more than 155,000 deaths in the United States, including 381 in Tarrant County. At the time of the rally, Tarrant County health officials, citing high numbers of COVID-19 cases in North Texas, ordered a countywide delay in classroom openings
Dozens of parents gathered outside the Tarrant County Administrative Building last week to call for the rapid reopening of public and private school classrooms.
voted 8 to 1 to delay school openings until Tuesday, September 8. Classes will be online-only for the first four weeks. The majority of parents and teachers who spoke at the emergency meeting were in favor of delaying classroom openings. One school board trustee told me on condition of anonymity that the majority of parents pushing for classroom reopenings are from Tanglewood, a wealthy neighborhood near TCU that has been a hotbed of support for reopening classrooms. Several Fort Worth school district teachers I spoke with are frustrated with the lack of direct information sent to them by district leaders. The educators, many of whom have spent decades in local classrooms, said they have had to rely on social media posts from Fort Worth school district for such vital information. “I will be quitting if I am asked to physically go on campus,” said one Fort Worth public school teacher who asked to go only by “Taylor.” We are concealing the educator’s identity and those of two colleagues to prevent district backlash. Texas teachers are fighting back. The Rally for Safe School Opening was held July 18 in downtown Austin to draw attention to a list of teacher demands. Hundreds of teachers and their supporters
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September 8, according to a district spokesperson. School buildings are scheduled to open Monday, October 5. At that point, students will have the option of transitioning to in-person learning or remaining online through the school district’s Virtual Learning Academy. “As we work with officials to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in our community, we must rely on science, data, and common sense as we make these difficult decisions that impact all families,” a district statement read. “Additional delays may be required based on the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Eagle Mountain-Saginaw school district classrooms will reopen on Thursday, August 20, according to the district’s website. Students will have the option of resuming in-person classes or using the district’s Choice Remote Learning program. “Of everyone I’ve talked to, none of [my colleagues] feel comfortable with being put on campus,” Taylor said. “Some would be OK with teaching virtually from campus. I can’t see a solution right now, and I don’t see it getting better. There are so many opportunities for taking COVID home once school resumes. I feel like the case numbers might explode.”
When word reached Taylor last March that Fort Worth school district’s campuses
Cour tesy of Ashley Paz
want virtual instruction until all county infection rates fall below .5% of the population, hazard pay for campus staff, paid leave for COVID-related illnesses in addition to regular leave benefits, and the option for staffers to work remotely if they have an autoimmune condition, among other demands. Many teachers scoff at the guidelines by the Texas Education Association (TEA), the governing body of Texas public and charter schools. Requiring students of all ages to wear face masks is unrealistic, the teachers said. Requirements that students regularly wash their hands will be hard to fulfill, the teachers said, given the limited number of sinks in many schools. The idea that first and second grade students will stay 6 feet apart is unrealistic, multiple teachers said. Some school districts across the country are putting teachers first. In California, the two largest school districts — Los Angeles Unified and San Diego Unified — are opting to start the fall semester online only, citing skyrocketing infection rates and despite presidential tweets saying that “SCHOOLS MUST OPEN.” Many large urban school districts have similarly voted to resume classes online only until classrooms can be safely reopened. Local school districts and college campuses are offering a wide range of learning options. Crowley school district plans to begin online classes on Tuesday,
Paz: “In the end, we all felt that the additional weeks will give campus administrators more time to prepare and plan.”
would be shuttering, the art teacher began transitioning to online learning. Taylor was pleasantly surprised to discover that online lessons, while not always ideal, provided students with the tools and resources to continue developing in areas like drawing, painting, and other artistic media. The ability to work from home brought emotional relief for Taylor, who has an autoimmune condition. “I went into full lockdown,” Taylor recalled. “I have not seen friends and
family since March.” As the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting wave of deaths spread, the art teacher continued to take precautions — such as using contactless food deliveries and avoiding groups of people — that have stemmed the spread of the novel coronavirus in countries like Japan, Korea, and the Czech Republic, among others. The United States has not taken a uniform approach to stopping the spread of the illness and now leads the world in total
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The third Fort Worth school district teacher I spoke with, Sam, said COVID19-related fears have risen since March as teachers have learned more about the disease. “I think [school administrators] were feeling pressure” to reopen, Sam said. “Instead of making a careful decision, they just gave in to the pressure” from parents who, for a variety of personal or ideological reasons, are calling for classrooms to reopen soon. Sam, a single parent, has one son in the school district. Being forced to return to classrooms effectively means that Sam’s son cannot participate in remote learning since Sam will not be home.
“I am scared,” the teacher said. “I’m really angry because the decisions that are being made are not good for me. It will be more work and a threat to my health. After teaching online in the spring, I can tell you virtual teaching takes just as much time as in-person teaching. Trust me, teachers would prefer to be face-to-face if we felt safe, but that is just not the case right now. The thought of teaching in-person while COVID numbers are still so high is terrifying.”
Ashley Weaver knew early on that her three children would not be returning
to the classroom when Eagle MountainSaginaw school district resumed in-person learning this fall. “My biggest fear is them bringing [COVID-19] into the house,” the pregnant mother said. “We will have a newborn. My mom has some autoimmune disorders. We are living with her currently. Kids in general are germ carriers. That is just known. Even if it did not infect the kids like adults, just the fear of bringing that to a baby with no immune system and my mom who is compromised is scary.” Her school district offers a “Save Your Seat” policy that allows parents to opt for virtual learning for six weeks. At that point, children can resume in-person
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COVID-related deaths, and Texas is now a leading hotspot for new COVID-19 cases. There are an estimated 141,186 active COVID-19 cases in the Lone Star State, according to the Department of State Health Services. As Taylor watched COVID-19 cases rise, she was shocked to see Fort Worth school district Facebook posts that suggested classroom reopening plans. One June 17 post hinted that schools would reopen that fall even as the school district failed to update teachers directly, according to several Fort Worth teachers I have spoken with. Citing a recent parent poll, the post said, “Of that number, as we have previously shared, 52% said they preferred the traditional school calendar this fall.” Several comments asked if the post indicated a direction that the school district would be going in that fall. “So, just for clarification,” one woman responded, “by sharing the survey results, are you saying that this will be what we can officially expect for next year (traditional calendar, alternating day schedule)? Or do we still need to wait for [TEA] to give us the official word?” At the time, the TEA had not provided safety guidelines and reopening protocols for Texas schools. When those guidelines were released on July 7, that further suggested that public school teachers would be asked to return to school campuses. One Fort Worth school district teacher who asked to go by Pat said her pre-existing conditions have made early retirement a foregone conclusion, given the district’s stance on mandatory oncampus teaching. Pat’s spouse has diabetes, and the thought of their children losing one or both parents has created a “web of horror,” Pat said. The long-time public school teacher said “99.9%” of her colleagues have expressed an intention to not return to campus this year. “Most of us don’t feel safe because we know that it is a volatile situation,” Pat said. “How are they going to learn in groups? We normally learn in groups. This is going to be a rigid environment that, in a way, will be more traumatizing” for children than the pandemic. Poor air ventilation — another common concern among teachers I spoke with — weighs on Pat. “My air-conditioner works maybe two days a week,” Pat said. “You can’t open the windows because bugs fly in, and it’s hot. I don’t have my own AC unit. I share an airconditioner with three other classrooms, and we’re all dying from poor ventilation during hot months. How will that be safe?” Pat said the school district should build on the lessons learned last spring when students transitioned to online learning instead of rushing to open classrooms.
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learning if the parents choose to. Her school district, she said, has handled the volatile situation as best as it can. “I can relate to having to change policies daily,” the mother said. “They are at the mercy of the government. Everything they are sending to parents, people are demanding answers. I know they just don’t know. I feel bad that they keep getting backlash.” Based on Facebook messages she has had and private conversations, Weaver has heard concerns from financially strapped parents and single parents who are unsure how they can provide for their children while watching them at home through late September. “I hate that stigma where parents treat schools like a babysitter, but society forces that to happen because you have to have parents working,” Weaver said. “My heart went out to people who will have serious challenges finding a babysitter or teaching their kids. I know some parents who are going to withdrawal from school” so they don’t have to deal with the stress of keeping up with school curriculum. The weeks and months of homeschooling that followed the closing of school campuses last spring were difficult, Weaver said. “I used to be an education major,” she said “and now I know I can’t handle being a teacher. There will be a ton of hardships. All four of us were getting frustrated with it. We would take a break for the rest of the day out of frustration sometimes.” Ashley’s husband, Dayne Weaver, runs Dayne’s Craft Barbecue from the grounds of Lola’s Trailer Park and works long hours. He helped when he could during the scarce few hours he had after returning from work last spring. Ashley turned to homeschool Facebook groups for advice that she plans to use once again this fall. A lot of Ashley’s groups recommended shorter learning periods for younger children. “Before, we would sit at the table for four to five hours. I learned to give them as much sleep as they want and to let them stay in their pajamas. Children will not retain information if they dread learning. The advice made it more fun and easier for the whole household.” Even if her school district were to open its classrooms sooner under Paxton’s new directives, Weaver is in no hurry to send her kids back to classrooms. She is waiting to see a drop in cases and to hear feedback from parents who can give her first-hand information about what learning during a pandemic is like. “I don’t want to send my kids to a prison where they have to sit 6 feet away from everyone, not talk to anyone, and wear a mask all day,” she said. “I don’t want school to feel like a punishment. I want them to enjoy learning. If I am sending them to a sterile environment where they are not allowed to interact,
Last week, several dozen parents made their desire to reopen classrooms known through a downtown rally.
that is what they will remember instead of the education they would be receiving. I am prepared to teach the entire year. I know that I will get overwhelmed, but my personal comfort is less of a priority than my kids’ physical health.” Brenda Ciardiello, a Fort Worth mother of three, said she has talked over school reopening plans with her husband Matt Ciardiello. Her children will return to classrooms when they reopen. “We don’t have high-risk people in our family,” she said, referring to conditions and risk factors (like advanced age and obesity) that can lead to COVID-19-related complications or even death. Brenda’s two parents live hours away, so there are no senior relatives who would readily come into contact with her children, she said. “Matt and I are pretty healthy,” she continued. “Just from polls from our PTO and PTA, at least from the people who are responding, the vast majority are transitioning to in-person.” The decision to resume in-class lessons wasn’t easy, but the Ciardiello family weighed the costs and benefits of learning from home for another year. “I don’t think it is good to do virtual all year, having gone through the virtual learning in the spring,” she said. “My youngest kids were doing maybe one or two Zoom meetings a week, and they were having trouble staying engaged for that period of time. [Fort Worth school district] has promised a more engaging online program, but, at those ages, it is so hard to make them want to engage with a screen.” Although sometimes slow access to information from the school district has been frustrating, Brenda said most of the parents she has spoken to understand the difficult situation the school district is in. One area that remains unclear, Brenda said, is how remote learning students will meet attendance requirements that are
set by the state and tied to school district funding. “How can you expect parents who are working to have flexibility?” she asked. “They may not be able to attend every Zoom meeting. There is a real worry that kids will be penalized when, in reality, for most parents, it is almost impossible to do things the way” the district is asking them. Brenda is making last-minute decisions about what types of face masks her kids will wear. Parents have been advised to purchase Velcro so they do not have to be tied by teachers. The social interactions that come with in-person learning are too valuable to miss out on, Brenda said. When she finally does drop her kiddos off for class, she said the feeling will be bittersweet. “There will be some relief,” she said. “My kids need that interaction. They need that routine. Children are less likely to get sick, but they still do get sick. Not to mention there is this perfect storm. It will be flu season by October. All the other sicknesses of the world haven’t disappeared just because COVID is here. As much as I want my kids to get back to school, there are concerns we have to walk through. We have to be flexible. I’m kind of writing off 2020. I don’t want to make any big commitments.”
One reopening video by a local private school may leave viewers thinking that opening classes during a pandemic is something to be excited about. Bright, upbeat music accompanies shots of construction partitioning gyms into expanded classes with desks spaced 6 feet apart. Fort Worth’s private schools are largely opening mid-August. The resources available to private schools that charge around $25,000 in
tuition per year have made reopening both possible and something of a financial imperative. Public schools have a more stable income source through tax revenue, but that hasn’t stopped parents in wealthy Fort Worth neighborhoods from blasting school district trustees for delaying inperson learning due to legitimate public safety concerns. “Shame on you FWISD school board,” one mother posted on the Facebook group Back in School. “The decision you made today will have lifelong impacts on the students you represent. Students will be sex-trafficked, pregnant, commit suicide, starve, be beaten, and illiterate because of you.” The exact link between a delay in school openings and teen pregnancy wasn’t made clear in the Facebook post. Fort Worth school board trustee Ashley Paz said the district could have feasibly opened on August 17 but chose to delay school openings for several reasons. “In the end, we all felt that the additional weeks will give campus administrators more time to prepare and plan as well as to make contacts with each family they serve and guarantee they have access to technology,” she said. “Campus administrators and district officials can provide information sessions online or in person for parents who need assistance with navigating the technology they are receiving. Additionally, this gives our student support services team time to work with partner agencies like [Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation], Tarrant Housing Solutions, One Safe Place, and United Way to address social needs that have been a major concern for all of us during this pandemic. The district has taken the onus of addressing these needs on top of our educational program for decades, but at this time we need the support of our community partners to help fill this gap so our administration can focus exclusively on teaching and learning.” The economic necessities of providing nourishment (both in body and mind) for tens of thousands of Fort Worth’s youths are not lost on the teachers I spoke with. They understand that opening classes would provide significant relief for working parents. As has too-often been the case with public education, though, the guidelines set out by TEA and last-minute orders by government officials are yet another unfunded mandate that teachers have to burden. The difference this time is that this challenge, COVID-19, could kill them. Pat said the message from Fort Worth school district’s leadership is clear. “I’ve watched the district change,” Pat said. “They’ve gone from seeing us as human resources to human capital. I feel that is all we are to them — capital.” l
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Hundreds of students will receive free school supplies at this 4th annual giveaway to prepare students for a successful school year. Social distancing guidelines will be followed. Operation Backpack is made possible through funding by Niagara Cares. Through Niagara Cares, Niagara Bottling is committed to supporting local and national charitable organizations and programs by engaging stakeholders, volunteering in the community and investing its resources to support vulnerable children and their families. The VOA Texas Substance abuse prevention program works with at-risk youth to educate them about the dangers of substance abuse, improve their communications with parents and empower them to make positive choices when faced with pressure from peers.
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The School House?
AUGUST 5-11, 2020
Operation Backpack
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Is YOUR House
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Cour tesy of iStock
OPEN NIGHT&DAY DFW Uni-Con is raising dollars for the Tarrant Area Food Bank.
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It’s showtime! Every year since 1996, we here Wednesday at the Fort Worth Weekly have been putting out our annual Best Of special edition. While the actual issue doesn’t hit the stands until Sep 23, voting season will soon start for Best Of 2020. It is all write-in, and there are tons of categories within each section; Good Grub, On the Town, Culture, Getting & Spending, and People & Places. Only one vote per IP address is allowed, so do your research and make your vote count. (Please, please do the same in November at the ballot box.) Remember last week when we wrote about the need for more blood drives? Thursday Realtors Maria Zambrano and Kami Ludwig have answered the call by hosting A Pint for A Pint Blood Drive at Black Cat Pizza (401 Bryan Av, Ste 109, 817-489-5151). From 12pm to 6pm, every donor will receive a free slice of pizza during the event and a voucher to bring back later for a free pint of beer. For sign-up information, visit Facebook.com/ BlackCatPizzaFTW.
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It is inconceivable –– that means what you think it means –– that most Friday of us have not been to the movies yet this summer. COVID-19 has meant the temporary closure of traditional movie theaters but the opening of alternative spaces. At 8:30pm, see The Princess Bride at 7th Floor Movies on the roof of the Hurst Convention Center (1601 Campus Dr, 817-581-0044). Movie-themed food and drinks will be available at the concession stand and bar. Tickets are $5 at HurstConferenceCenter.ECWID.com.
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From 8am to 12pm, see –– and help –– the Fort Worth Aviation Museum Saturday (3300 Ross Av, 855-7338627) by attending the inaugural FWAM Car Show. Proceeds will help restore a
rare F-16 fighter plane –– the second ever put into service. Museum attendees can see the 250 cars on display for free with the $2-7 museum entry fee.
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Whether you are a British transplant or a cultured American, from 12pm Sunday to 3pm you can enjoy Full Afternoon Tea at The Londoner Colleyville (5120 Hwy 121, 817-6848810). For the cost of admission –– $26 per person –– you will indulge in chocolate mousse, cucumbers, finger sandwiches, macaroons, mimosas, scones, a variety of other items, and, of course, a cup or pot of tea. Reservations are limited, but you can be indoors, outdoors, or order Afternoon Tea for curbside pick-up. For registration information, visit Facebook. com/TheLondonerColleyville.
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From 10am to 10pm daily thru Wed, Aug 12, DFW Uni-Con, The Multiverse Monday Comics, and Not-A-Con DFW are hosting a virtual Dungeons & Dragons convention. Vendors will be online discussing everyday-gaming items, board-gamer attendees will have access to a tabletop simulator, and there are promises of “great hosts” and “all types of TTRPGS.” (That’s “tabletop role-playing games” for the novices out there.) The event is free to attend, but a suggested donation to the Tarrant Area Food Bank is appreciated. To sign up, visit DFWUnicon.wordpress.com.
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For the first time ever, the Arlington Museum of Art (201 W Main St, Tuesday 817-275-4600) has an Artist in Residence. Join photographic artist and creative writer Amy J. Schultz for a free Zoom conversation at 7pm. She will discuss her multimedia installation “MUMENTOUS” and the values placed on coming-of-age celebrations in Texas like homecoming. The event is free, but registration is required at bit.ly/338ofV8.
By Jennifer Bovee
MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH Spend a quiet, relaxing day in our spacious, air-conditioned galleries with plenty of room for social distancing. Explore work by nationally and internationally renowned artists, and visit the special exhibition Mark Bradford: End Papers, on view through January 10.
ONLINE PROGRAMS
Experience the Modern from home by visiting www.themodern.org/online-learning-programs.
VIRTUAL PROGRAMS: • Drawing from the Collection • Drawing from the Collection for Children • Wonderful Wednesdays • Slow Art Tours • Curator Talks 10 PAGES – Projects for kids to enjoy at home Explore the Modern’s COLLECTION ONLINE.
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth 3200 Darnell Street Fort Worth, Texas 76107 817. 738.9215 Follow the Modern
www.themodern.org
ART Creating Hope
Juan Velazquez’ recent splash onto the local art scene shows his artistic depth. B R O W N
nothing with my life. One day I will have to tell her to follow her dreams. I would feel like a hypocrite if I had to say I didn’t follow my dreams because I was scared. Most of my art supplies were in the garage. I told my wife, ‘I think I’m going to give it a shot.’ ” He kept his desk job for another year but poured himself into painting at night. Landscapes and figurative works were his passion, he said. He picked up oil painting in high school but had yet to develop a style. With minimal formal training, he refined his style by keeping aspects of his works that he liked and discarding the rest. “I probably did 100 paintings my first year,” he said. “I didn’t know where it would lead. I knew that if I kept painting, I would find the right people to help me.” One year ago, Velazquez followed another longtime dream: enlisting in the U.S. Army Reserves. He recently parted ways with the desk job and is learning how to make a living as a full-time artist. The recent success
of the “Fort Worth for Vanessa” mural and a similar one he made just east of downtown in mid-July have cast him as a graffiti artist. Velazquez, who has created art with graffiti since he was a teenager, said the medium allows him to work quickly. He considers himself an oil painter, though, and hopes to show more of those works via a solo show when public health concerns wane. Though only months into establishing his name as a professional artist, Velazquez has a clear mission: to use his art to uplift others. Whether through murals or teaching kids about the basics of artmaking, the muralist and artist knows the power of creative expression. In high school, Velazquez said, his 11th- and 12th-grade art teacher, Mr. Daniels, provided Velazquez with a focus that kept him away from the wrong crowd. After spending his junior year at an alternative school, the young artist graduated high school as a member of the National Honors Society. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be
here,” Velazquez said. “I would probably be in jail, honestly. He changed the way I thought about life.” While painting the Vanessa Guillen mural last July, one of the hundreds of people who messaged the artist introduced his 14-year-old niece. Velazquez gave the teen a few pointers and thought nothing more of it. Later that day, the uncle returned in tears. “I just wanted to thank you,” the man told Velazquez. “My niece has been depressed for months and hasn’t wanted to do anything. Ever since she got to paint with you guys, all she talks about is being an artist. She wants to buy art supplies.” After taking a gamble on an uncertain career, Velazquez said he has finally met the community of artists he was waiting for. When it is safe to do so, the muralist, painter, and graffiti artist has a series of large oil paintings that he wants to display. The collection of landscape portraits is simply titled Fort Worth. l
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Velazquez: “I don’t want to retire from a desk job having done nothing with my life.”
AUGUST 5-11, 2020
Juan Velazquez went to sleep on July 3 hoping that his Facebook request for help painting a mural would receive a reply. That night, hundreds of messages poured in. The mural’s subject — Vanessa Guillen, the 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier who was murdered last April at Fort Hood — resonated with the Fort Worth community, Velazquez said. “She did her basic training in the same company I did,” Velazquez said. “I didn’t know her. Her story connected with a lot of people. Maybe it is because her mother and sister were asking for help [once she went missing]. One of my relatives died” recently, Velazquez added, saying he could empathize with Guillen’s family. The Fort Worth-based artist spent the better part of the next day responding to nearly 500 private messages. On July 5, Velazquez, with the help of around two dozen artists, worked to create the “Fort Worth for Vanessa” mural. The heat was brutal, Velazquez recalled. Food vendors, a DJ, and dozens of people from the community turned the painting into an event. Organizers of a planned vigil for Guillen relocated their event and march to Noah’s Art & Supplies, the location of the mural on Hemphill Street on the Near Southside. Exhausted, Velazquez left the finished mural to go see his daughter early that evening. When he returned, the streets leading to the mural were backed up for blocks in either direction as around 500 people waited to view the image of the soldier in uniform surrounded by flowers, Velazquez recalled. Velazquez, who now has several similarly massive murals lined up, is a relatively new name in the local arts scene. Two years ago, at the age of 29, after taking five years off from painting, he felt an intense and spontaneous urge to pick up his brushes. “I don’t know if it was because my daughter was born,” he recalled. “I don’t want to retire from a desk job having done
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E D W A R D
C o u r te s y o f J u a n Ve l a z qu e z
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Park in the garage across the way, bring us your voucher and we’ll validate it for you. Four hour limit.
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COMING SOON:
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EATS & drinks
With a nod to its barn history, Provender Hall is a welcome addition to Fort Worth’s finedining scene.
Provender Hall, 122 Exchange Av, Ste 110, FW. 817-782-9170. 5-9pm Sun, closed Mon-Wed, 5-9pm Thu, 5-10pm Fri-Sat. All major credit cards accepted.
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L A U R I E
Cour tesy of Instagram
Belly Up to the Feed Bag
Provender Hall’s Everything is a fun take on the wedge salad.
J A M E S
Over the last six years, Marcus Paslay isn’t the softest part of the cow, but the has been creating a mini empire with treatment here made the strip surprisingly Clay Pigeon in the Foundry District and luscious. The smoke and a little grill Piattello in the Waterside development. mark-sear left the hefty portion tender Both restaurants were temporarily and flavorful. The grill rub was subtle and shuttered for a couple of months due to gently played against the smoke without COVID-19. His newly opened Provender overwhelming the meat. Sides are not included with your Hall –– named for the feed bags used by horses and mules because the building was entrees. (That’s a Fort Worth upscaleonce a mule barn –– is a gorgeous addition casual tradition.) The side of mashed to the upscale-casual dining scene that potatoes was fluffy and creamy, and it’s just too tempting to add mashed potatoes Fort Worth seems to love so much. If you’re a grilling purist, then you’ll to an order of steak. Or a wedge salad, for absolutely care that the kitchen’s smoker that matter. The iceberg-based Everything and grill are both wood-burning. If you offered a little twist on the steakhouse aren’t, you’ll still appreciate the delicate classic. Blue cheese, bacon, and tomato? flavor of wood smoke in almost everything Check. The addition of chopped egg and on the menu. Case in point: the smoked the flavorful everything-bagel spice jazzed trout dip. The appetizer wasn’t smooth like the plain lettuce up spectacularly. The the Eastern European version you’ll find at dressing, a house made buttermilk ranch a New York-style deli. The chunky trout as opposed to a heavier, stronger blue cheese dressing, was also was treated with just a an inventive touch. touch of mayo and dill, Provender Hall Smoked trout dip ......................... $12 The only and it was served with Deviled eggs ................................. $11 avocado slices and the Iceberg Everything wedge ........... $12 disappointment was the most beautiful grilled Prime New York strip ................... $45 shrimp and grits. The potatoes ......................... $6 jumbo shrimp (I was sourdough toast points. Mashed Shrimp and grits........................... $30 Heartier than a pâté yet Golden Cheeked Warbler............. $12 guessing the 21/25 count by the size of the five on also incredibly light, the my plate) were actually stellar starter was a perfect choice. The deviled eggs were probably the perfectly cooked, subtly seasoned, and not only thing on the menu (along with the rubbery. However, the bowl of grits was banana pudding) that didn’t take a trip a stringy affair, with good-sized pieces of though the fire. The eggs were mixed chewy bacon and mushroom slices floating with mayo and mustard with the barest in a very loose, although tasty, sea of hint of paprika. They weren’t bad, just not slightly chunky pieces of corn. The whole thing wasn’t pretty. It may have been that amazing. However, amazing actually happened my taste buds really wanted Jon Bonnell’s with the prime New York strip. The cut cheese grits or the shrimp and grits from
Fixe, and that’s not what I got. To be fair, cheese grits appear as a side dish as well. I find gin to be a mood beverage, but when the house has a special drink, I’ll bend my preferences to at least taste what all the fuss is about. The Golden Cheeked Warbler turned out to be the perfect late summer combo of gin, tart lime, and sweet pineapple juices, with a dash of Midnight Marigold Bitter Cordial. The bitters offered a spicy, savory, slightly gingery note that augmented the super-sugary pineapple well. If you’re getting your meal to go, the bartender will pack yours in a giant zip-top bag with a straw, sort of like a grownup juice pouch. The loft (formerly a hay loft) is an attractive place to grab a drink, and the enclosed front porch space offers the suggestion of a patio without the exposure to the elements and noise of Mule Alley, the strip of historic brick buildings renovated from livestock pens to upscale retail during the Stockyards’ recent facelift. Three restaurants and six years in, Paslay has plainly learned a thing or two about keeping people happy. In 2014, his front-of-the-house staff couldn’t even get it together to honor a reservation at his newly opened Clay Pigeon. Perhaps he’s hired better people, or maybe it’s the uncertain atmosphere of COVID and an enforced, limited seating capacity –– but every single staffer, from the hostess to the bartender to the server, was solicitous and apparently delighted that my party of two had arrived. With its exposed brick and airy ceilings, Provender Hall is a feast for all the senses. l
Hours:
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Tues. - Thurs. 11am to 9pm Fri. & Sat. 11am to 11pm & Sun. 11am to 9pm Dine in or Carry Out Available
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AUGUST 5-11, 2020
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P A T R I C K
H I G G I N S
As we flip over another page in our 2020 “Hang in There” kitten calendars and reveal the sneering visage of an angry August, we find ourselves more than two months into a historic cry for racial justice unseen in this country for half a century. The Black Lives Matter movement continues to remain locked in our collective consciousness as it competes with the other two ever-present topics covered by the media: the novel coronavirus pandemic and the fascism-cosplaying goon currently befouling the fine leather wingback behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. Everyone with a Twitter handle has been
HearSay Save Our Stages Hits Home
Imagining a future without Fort Worth’s top venues is near unthinkable. Like losing a job. Or worse. Places like Lola’s Trailer Park and Saloon, MASS, Shipping & Receiving, and the Rail Club are so vital to the Fort Worth community that once they go, Fort Worth’s soul will go along with them. These are the kinds of things you may think about every day the lockdown continues while new cases of COVID-19 spike. It reminds me of a funny meme I saw the other day. The caption to a picture of Rod Serling was, “Picture a world where a novel coronavirus can tell the difference between a bar that sells burgers and a bar.” The sentiment is appropriate. Many bar/ venue owners are rightfully upset that while they must remain closed, bars/venues that sell burgers (or pizza or tacos or whatever) can stay open, at half capacity, but that’s still better than nothing. And, for most venues, just above nothing would be preferred right now to reality. As one venue owner told NPR, “You can’t serve live music takeout.” Many venue owners are putting their hopes in Congress. Unlike the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the RESTART
Act will allow for more flexibility on how the loaned money can be spent and offer generous options for loan forgiveness. Sen. Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana who co-sponsored the bipartisan bill, has said, “So unlike the [PPP], you won’t be seeing businesses that, frankly, have done alright in the midst of this otherwise horrible economic atmosphere created by the pandemic taking advantage of the program.” The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) has generated broad public and corporate support for the bill through a social media campaign and petition called Save Our Stages. All of Fort Worth’s major venues belong to NIVA and have been taking to social media to #saveourstages. All 2,000-plus of NIVA’s members are hoping Congress can pass the RESTART Act before recess. In between Friday and Sep 8, when Congress reconvenes, many venues may close for good, which is why NIVA is pressing all live music lovers to call/mail their legislators to prioritize the RESTART Act. A NIVA survey revealed that at least 90% of all venues will close if the shutdown continues much longer without federal help. “The importance of Save Our Stages and NIVA cannot be underestimated,” said
Bars in the house on White Wash Street / Middle America / Is this scarin’ ya? / Does this remind you of your mom’s house with a terrier?” The.Naaman paints a picture of a generic Southern upbringing that just about any white kid, especially one born in the Lone Star State, can likely, if honest, identify with. “I was not raised by Ku Klux Klan, outand-out racists,” he explained. “And I wasn’t raised by crunchy granola-eating hippies, either. I was raised in this middle ground where racism was a very subtle thing, and I needed to speak to that community about the subtle and stealthy ways that racism has shaped their viewpoints. I didn’t want it to be this white guilt thing, like ‘Woe is me,’ but like, ‘Here is your medicine! You have to think about this shit!’ ” Ryan Higgs, co-owner of MASS. “It is not only to provide help on losses for a small venue in Fort Worth but bigger venues with storied histories like First Avenue in Minneapolis. I am hopeful that we can get back to business not only for owners but musicians, bookers, buyers, promoters, soundmen, stagehands.” Higgs said that while he does not want to speculate on the long-term health of his Near Southside venue, he will wait patiently for Gov. Greg Abbott to reopen bars/venues, based on science and data, of course. When bars/venues are allowed to reopen, he said, “we will follow all occupancy and safety guidelines.” Until then, MASS will continue with its successful Social Distancing Concert Series. The Unlikely Candidates, Quaker City Night Hawks’ Sam Anderson, and Sub Sahara are just a few past performers. Eddie Vanston believes most venues are looking at 2021 before “anything starts up again.” The owner of Shipping & Receiving on the Near Southside said he’s still “sussing it out,” noting that his venue is unique in that it sits below 23 apartments with 30-plus residents, which is why S&R isn’t hosting any livestreamed events. “With the apartments upstairs, we have to be extra careful,” he said. “Really don’t want
to be inviting activity in. Residents are the priority.” For Chris Polone, the funds afforded by the RESTART Act would not be nearly enough for his Rail Club to stay afloat long. He recently launched an online fundraiser for not only his Westside venue but for all of the clubs for which he serves as de facto spokesperson in his statewide campaign to reopen 51-percenters, or clubs whose income is 51% or more based on alcohol sales. “Even if that act does pass, it wouldn’t change the fact that we’re still closed,” Polone said. “We could receive some funds, but, unfortunately, none of it is enough … . We are shut down indefinitely until otherwise stated. We may go a month or another month. We [venues] don’t just open our doors, and our room sells out. We have to hire a band and take out an ad. It doesn’t matter if you book AC/DC if no one knows about it.” To support the Rail’s campaign, visit GoFundMe.com and search “Rail Club.” For more on NIVA and the Save Our Stages campaign, visit SaveOurStages. com. –– Anthony Mariani Contact HearSay at anthony@fwweekly.com.
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The.Naaman: “I didn’t want it to be this white guilt thing, like ‘Woe is me,’ but like, ‘Here is your medicine! You have to think about this shit!’ ”
AUGUST 5-11, 2020
On his latest single, introspective MC The. Naaman takes a sobering look at systemic racism and his own complicity in it
Over the hook, he drives his mark home, showing that what might seem innocuous and benign is actually what does the most harm. “White Silence / The damage we did by staying quiet / Who’d have thought our apathy would lead to such violence?” The.Naaman said he is certainly conscious of the potential sensitivity of adding yet another white voice to the already outsized influence it has in popular culture, especially on such a topic, but in the end, he said he couldn’t help but offer his perspective. “White Liberal Jesus is a real thing,” he said. “This idea of ‘I’m going to save you. I’m going to help you.’ And I didn’t want it [to be taken] that way. I didn’t want it to be a self-serving thing or like capitalizing on a moment. We should definitely be listening to and elevating the voices of people of color, but I can only be true to my own viewpoint as an artist.” As opposed to being inspired by the recent activism surrounding the murder of George Floyd, the track was actually written more than two years ago. Sadly, the content is likely even more poignant today. “I would love more than anything for it not to be [still] relevant,” he said, “but, unfortunately, it is. I know it’s kind of weary and exhausting to constantly be having to go over and talk about this shit, but it’s really the only way we can move forward.” “White Silence” is available across most popular streaming platforms. The. Naaman is currently in the final stages of completing his debut album, Albatross, due out late September. l
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Breaking the Silence
Nick McClanahan
MUSIC
hurling their pocket change perspectives at anyone sedentary long enough to get caught in the line of fire –– both in support of and in shameful opposition to the moment. Fort Worth MC The.Naaman is no different, and he’s recently put his thoughts on the subject into verse and added them to a thumping fuzz bass-laden beat. With his latest single, “White Silence,” the selfreflective rapper opens up a direct and honest dialogue on white ambivalence to systemic racism, but the words from The.Naaman, who is white, aren’t meant for the farright, rebel flag-flying hillbillies guarding Confederate statues. Instead, he’s taking aim at the otherwise oblivious, soft, and noncommittal masses of Middle America. As opposed to focusing on overt bigotry, the track, which features production work from Sam Culp (Yokyo, Vogue Machine), Joshua Ryan Jones (Gollay, Cody Lynn Boyd), and Peter Weirenga (Tornup, Siberian Traps), tackles the subtle unconscious biases that almost all white people are prone to and which are the real driving force behind systemic racism. “I didn’t want to capitalize on the lowhanging fruit of [guys in] MAGA hats,” The.Naaman said. “I wanted to have a perspective that was like, ‘Even the best of us as white folks have a little of the systemic racism problem.’ Even allies and people who are trying to do their best. It’s been ingrained in us. We have these ugly things lying beneath the surface of society. We have to get really uncomfortable and confront those truths.” From the opening stanza: “Let me take you back to little ol’ me / ’83 / Stars ’n’
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Get on the path to conserving water. From the Trinity River to the Trinity Trails, water is one of our most valuable resources. To help keep North Texas thriving, consider these water conservation tips. Water your lawn deeply and infrequently. Make sure sprinklers are in working order and that they’re
it’s not as hot. Do your part to help keep Texas water on tap because water is awesome. Use it. Enjoy it. Just don’t waste it.
FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY
AUGUST 5-11, 2020
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watering the lawn, not the concrete. Water only after 6 p.m. and before 10 a.m., when
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Visit WaterIsAwesome.com to learn ways to water wiser.
CLASSIFIEDS On April 27, 2020, an unauthorized individual obtained access to an NCP employee’s email account. NCP became aware of the unauthorized access on May 19, 2020 and took immediate steps to contain the incident. We terminated the unauthorized access to the email account the same day it was discovered and worked with a leading cybersecurity forensics firm to investigate this matter. As part of our investigation, NCP conducted an extensive review of the employee’s email account to determine if any emails contained personal information. As a result of that review, beginning on June 18 NCP identified emails containing the names, addresses, dates of birth, dates relating to the provision of medical services or the payment for services, medical history and diagnosis information, prescription information, health provider information, insurance numbers, email addresses, and medical record numbers for some of our patients. We also identified emails containing the Social Security numbers of two individuals and the financial account information of one individual for whom we do not have current contact information to send a personalized notification letter. At this time, we are not aware of any unauthorized viewing or misuse of our patients’ information. All available evidence suggests that the unauthorized individual’s purpose was to attempt to commit financial fraud against NCP—not to seek and obtain any personal information of patients. NCP sent notification letters by first class mail to all potentially affected individuals for whom we have up-to-date contact information and have arranged to provide them with 12 months of identity protection and fraud resolution services through Experian. Any individuals who receive a notification letter from NCP or who might otherwise be concerned about identity theft are encouraged to regularly review statements from their accounts and to periodically obtain their credit report from one or more of the national credit reporting companies. Individuals may obtain a copy of their credit report once every 12 months by either visiting http://www.annualcreditreport.com, calling toll free at 1-877-322-8228, or completing an Annual Credit Report Request Form (found at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0155-free-credit-reports) and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. For questions about identity theft, credit monitoring, and how to keep information secure, patients can visit this website: http://www. consumer.ftc.gov/topics/identity-theft. Individuals who received care at one of the clinics and have not received a notification letter may call (833) 281-4826 toll-free to determine whether their information has been identified as being involved.
MUST BE A U.S. CITIZEN, 18YRS OF AGE OR OLDER, HAVE VALID DRIVERS LICENSE, RELIABLE VEHICLE, & BE AVAILABLE TO WORK DAY, EVENING, & WEEKEND HRS The U.S. Department of Commerce is An Equal Opportunity Employer. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodations for any part of the application process, please notify the agency. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
TO APPLY EMAIL: NAME, PHONE, FULL ADDRESS, COUNTY, & HOW YOU HEARD OF THIS JOB OPPORTUNITY TO DENVER.RECRUIT@CENSUS.GOV BILINGUAL ENGLISH/SPANISH SPEAKERS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO, SITTING AS THE JUVENILE COURT In the Matter of: BABY GIRL JONES Minor born: 12/3/19 Case No.: 240338 PUBLISHED CITATION WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE SECTIONS 294 & 366.26 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO: HEATHER KAY JONES, OR ANYONE CLAIMING TO BE THE MOTHER OF THE ABOVE-NAMED BABY GIRL JONES, FEMALE CHILD BORN ON 12/3/19. PUBLISHED NOTICE OF HEARING AND NOTICE TO PARENT OF RIGHTS AND PROCEDURES PURSUANT TO WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE SECTIONS 294 and 366.26 1. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT on 9/30/2020, at 8:30 a.m. in Department 134 of the Sacramento County Juvenile Court, Superior Court of California, located at 3341 Power Inn Road, Sacramento, CA 95826, a hearing will take place pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code, Section 366.26, to either terminate your parental rights or to establish a guardianship for your child or to place your child in long-term foster care. 2. Due to the covid-19 pandemic, currently there is no public access to the courthouse. However, this may change at any time. We strongly encourage you to contact the assigned social worker, Joycelyn Wormley, at (916) 874-3376 prior to the court hearing date to verify whether the hearing will be held in person or through teleconference or videoconference should the court remain closed at the time of your scheduled hearing. The zoom hearing (videoconference) information is https://saccourt.zoom.us/my/dept134. If you opt to call in (teleconference), the telephone number is: (888) 475-4499 Meeting ID: 977 501 4696. 3. You are further notified that the Sacramento County Department of Family, Child and Adult Services, Petitioner, will recommend the following action: termination of parental rights permanently and a court order that the above-named minor be placed for adoption. 4. You have the right to personally appear in court and be heard in this matter. 5. On the above date the Court will determine the best permanent plan for your child. Evidence will be presented. After hearing the evidence presented by the parties, the Court will make one of the following orders: a. Terminate your parental rights permanently and order that the child be placed for adoption; b. Without permanently terminating your parental rights, identify adoption as the permanent placement goal and order that efforts be made to locate an appropriate adoptive family for your child for a period not to exceed 60 days; c. Without permanently terminating your parental rights appoint a legal guardian for your child and issue letters of guardianship; or, d. Order that your child be placed in long-term foster care, subject to the regular review of the Juvenile Court. 6. You may have the right to have an attorney represent you at the hearing. If you cannot afford an attorney, the Court will appoint an attorney for you, unless you knowingly and willingly waive your right to representation by an attorney. You have the right to present evidence at the hearing. 7. You have the right to request a trial on the issue of what permanent plan is best for your child. You have the right to present evidence. You have the right to use the Court’s power to compel the attendance of witnesses to testify on your behalf. You have the right to confront and cross-examine any adverse witnesses. You have the right to confront and cross-examine the preparers of any reports submitted to the Court by the Sacramento County Department of Family, Child and Adult Services, Petitioner. You have the right to assert the privilege against self-incrimination. 8. Any Order of the Court permanently terminating your parental rights shall be final and you shall have no legal rights to the care, control or custody of the child. 9. The Sacramento County Department of Family, Child and Adult Services, Petitioner will prepare and file an assessment report containing its recommendation in this matter at least ten (10) calendar days before the hearing . You have the right to be provided and obtain a copy of the report. You should immediately contact the social worker assigned to your child dependency case or your attorney if you have any questions or if you would like to read and obtain a copy of the report. 10. If you fail to appear at the hearing, the Court will proceed in your absence to adopt one of the above-mentioned permanent plans. Such proceedings may include the termination of your parental rights so that your child may be placed for adoption. If you have any questions regarding this procedure, please contact the specified below or an attorney. DATE: July 29, 2020 Michelle Callejas, Director Penelope Peters, Paralegal Department of Family, Child and Adult Services Paralegal Services (916) 875-4822 8/5, 8/12, 8/19, 8/26/20
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At National Cardiovascular Partners (NCP) and our partnering clinics, we take the privacy and security of our patients’ information seriously. NCP is a managing partner of Fort Worth Heart and Vascular Center of Fort Worth in Fort Worth, Texas and Medfinity Health – Plano in Plano, Texas (the clinics). We are providing the following information to inform our patients that a third party may have had unauthorized access to information about some patients who were seen at the clinics.
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